A Cooling Moment
by eternalotaku
Summary: On a hot summer day during their travels, will Lan and Nynaeve be able to find relief? NynxLan Please R&R!


Nynaeve tugged lightly at her braid in weary irritation. The heat was nearly unbearable.

She and her companions had paused in their travels mid-day to eat and rest themselves, as well as their horses. A light breeze caressed the side of her face, and brought little relief from the humidity engulfing her, and even the shade of the rough barked tree she was currently leaning against did nothing to cool her. The former wisdom allowed her eyes to flutter shut. She heard Egwene speaking lightly to her horse, that she had named Ghost, for his quick step and pure white color, not far off.

Minutes passed before she shifted her attention to what she knew to be Lan, riding back into their resting grounds to inform Moiraine of what he had found from his tracking up ahead. The Warder rode to Moiraine's side, and they spoke quietly, heads together, for a few moments, before he dismounted Mandarb, and led the stallion over to feed.

Nynaeve glanced back to the Aes Sedai briefly, and saw a thoughtful look on her ageless face.

"What fool-hearted plans could that women be weaving now?" Nynaeve questioned.

She came out of her musings when she saw that the ever-blending Warder's cloak - that Lan almost always wore, even in this heat - was set on the ground to her right. The Warder himself sat against a tree running parallel to her own, and just steps away.

She found herself studying his features. Had someone who hadn't known him for a time been looking, they would have seen the image of what they had been told in stories of old, the very image of what a Warder should be. Seemingly ever alert, his back straight against the wood, and his eyes searching in the distance for any sign of enemy attack, the perfect warrior. However, she was no stranger, and she knew more of this man than most. She noticed the thin layer of sweat coating his brow, and even the way his facial muscles seemed to droop, if only slightly, did not go unseen.

"Men! They would sooner fight a hundred Trollocs than admit even the slightest weakness!" The girl had reminded herself that he wasn't just an ordinary man, but the thought came none the less...

Suddenly, she gave a start as she realized that he was looking straight back at her, and turned her face away quickly, trying to act like nothing had happened, all the while trying to keep the red from her cheeks.

"Burn me for a fool! Staring at him like some teenage farmer's daughter!" She internally berated herself for her foolishness. The heat was really getting to her.

Although even for all her disapproving, it happened anyway. Before she herself even knew what she was doing, she was summoning the one power, the rose-bud filling her mind, opening herself to it...

Only as she came down from the wonderful high that only a person who had channeled the one source could know, and the chill from the results set in, that she understood what she had done.

Lan had his eyebrows ever so slightly raised, the only thing telling that he was surprised. She followed his eyes down to see the nearly frozen earth around them, with the frosted grass beyond the trees glistening in the sun. Moiraine had appeared not to notice, but it was obvious that she, too, had felt the channeling. Egwene's reaction was not as well concealed; with a small smile on her face, the younger girl tried to fake close inspection of her saddle strap, and said nothing.

Finally, the eyes of the Warder and the Aes Sedai in-training met, and she was surprised by what she found there, Beneath his deadly grace, and hardened features that now seemed just a bit softer some how, she was sure she could see... Gratitude, and... What was that, affection?

She gathered herself to look away, and was surprised to see that her body would not let her, more so when she realized that he hadn't turned away either. The gaze held. That look, and the mutual feeling hung in the air between them for what seemed like minutes, but could, in reality, only have been seconds.

"We've lingered here to long, I fear." Moiraine stated cooly, striding to her mare, effectively breaking the tender moment. By the time she looked back, Lan was already on his feet, wrapping his cloak around himself. Although, even as he went by her, she noticed with poorly hidden smirk, the lack of fatigue she had seen on him earlier. Her lips curled further upwards as she allowed herself a small laugh. She pushed herself to her feet as well, brushing off the moisture from the now melted ice. A determined look set itself on her face. It was time to ride.

* * *

A.N: This is my first WOT fanfiction, so I'd appretiate any feed-back given, thanks! 


End file.
